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CATECHISM 

OP .THE 

WETH AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER 



DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

BY THE 

ANCIENT SCANDINAVIANS. 



INTENDED CHIEFLY FOK THE USE OF SCHOOLS. 

BY WM. CHAS. ST. JOHN. 

(LATK U. S. VICE-CONSUL FOK THE BAY OF CONCEPTION.) 



y.i^ 



REVISED EDITION. 10 

BOSTON: 

PRESS OF GEORGE C. RAND, CORNHILL. 

1855. ^. .'i-^v 



tiA, 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 

WIjiLIAM C HARLES ST . JOHN, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



TO 



JOHN IRVING RODDICK, ESQUIRE, 



PEINCIPAL OP THE HARBOR GRACE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, 



THE FOLLOWING SHEETS 



ARE CORDIALLY DEDICATED 



THE AUTHOR. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



Some years ago, while residing in Newfoundland, 
I was induced to publish a brief history of that 
country drawn up in the catechetical form, and 
adapted to the use of schools. It got into pretty 
general circulation, and was instrumental, I believe, 
in removing a vast deal of ignorance which until 
then prevailed respecting one of the oldest depen- 
dencies of the British Crown. 

Having now revised the original edition, brought 
down the narrative to the close of last year, and 
prefixed an Introductory Chapter containing matter 
which, I presume, will be interesting to readers 
generally, I again offer the little manual to the 
public, with the honest persuasion that the time 
bestowed upon it has not been thrown away. At 
all events, this or a similar synopsis is indispensably 
necessary in the schools of Newfoundland. 

W. C. St. John. 

Boston, January, 1855. 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



It was long rumored that the Continent of 
America had been known to Europeans hundreds of 
years prior to the time of Columbus. Traditionary- 
tales of transatlantic voyages performed by the Scan- 
dinavians in the tenth century, were handed down 
from father to son for many generations. Some of 
these, it must be confessed, were so vague and marvel- 
lous as wholly to belong to the region of fable ; while 
others were set forth with such minuteness of detail, 
and accompanied by so many statements of an astro- 
nomical as well as a geographical character, all agreeing 
with indubitable facts brought to light by subsequent 
discovery, that it was difficult to evade the force of 
evidence which such accumulated testimonies set 
before us. 

At the instance, we believe, of that venerable phi- 
losopher and eminent scientific traveller, Alexander 



6 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

Von Humboldt, this curious and interesting question 
has been investigated afresh by the Royal Society of 
Northern Antiquaries ; and it would certainly appear 
from the researches of these celebrated men, notwith- 
standing the obscurities which enveloped certain por- 
tions of the narratives which claimed their attention, 
that the Northern Atlantic had been crossed on several 
occasions at this early period, first accidentally, and from 
stress of weather, by which the voyagers were carried 
westward far beyond the limits of their destined haven ; 
and afterwards, by the voluntary undertaking of enter- 
prising men who, like their renowned successors 
Columbus and Cabot, fearlessly launched away upon 
the bosom of the deep in quest of distant and unex- 
plored regions. 

The earliest account on record among the numerous 
documents to which the above-named society had 
access, is that of a voyage performed by one Biarne, 
son of Heriulf Bardson, a follower of Eric the Red, 
who, in 986, emigrated from Iceland to Greenland, 
where he formed a settlement. Biarne happened to be 
absent on a voyage to Norway at the time of his 
father's removal, but on his return home he immediately 
resolved to rejoin his parent though unacquainted with 
the sea which he had to traverse. The result of this 
bold attempt is circumstantially narrated in the before 
named documents, and we cannot do better than quote 
the substance of those papers as given in the London 
Geographical Journal, for 1838 : — 

" They (Biarne and attendants) set sail, but met 
with northerly winds and fogs, and after many days' 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



sailing they knew not wliltber they had been carried. 
When the weather again cleared up, they at last saw a 
land which was without mountains, overgrown with 
wood, and having many gentle elevations. As this land 
did not correspond to the description of Greenland, 
they left it to larboard, and continued sailing two days, 
when they saw another land which was flat, and over- 
grown with wood. From thence they stood out to sea, 
and sailed three days with a S. W. wind, when they 
saw a third land, which was high and mountainous and 
covered with icebergs (glaciers) ; they coasted along 
the shore and saw that it was an Island. They did not 
go on shore, as Biarne did not find the country to be 
Inviting. Bearing away from this Island, they stood 
out to sea with the same wind, and after four days' 
sailing with fresh gales they reached Heriulfsnes in 
Greenland." 

"About ten years after this," continues the same 
authority, " Biarne paid a visit to Eric, Earl of Nor- 
way, and told him of his voyage, and of the unknown 
lands he had discovered. He was blamed by many for 
not having examined these countries more accurately. 
On his return to Greenland, there was much talk 
about undertaking a voyage of discovery. Leif, a son 
of Eric the Red, bought Biarne's ship, and equipped it 
with thirty-five men, among whom was a German named 
Tyrker, who had long resided with his father, and 
who had been very fond of Leif in his childhood. In 
the year 1000 they commenced the projected voyage, 
and came first to tlie land wMch Biarne had seen last. 
They cast anchor and went on shore." 



8 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

The description -which these navigators gave of this 
country, and of the various lands which they visited in 
succession as they coasted along shore, perfectly 
agreed with what had previously been given by the 
adventurous Biarne. Leif, however, pushed his dis- 
coveries much farther than Biarne — reached a land 
that abounded in grapes, to which he gave the name of 
Vinland. Here he remained during the winter, and 
returned to Greenland the spring following. 

In 1002, a brother of Leif 's, named Thorwald, under- 
took a voyage to the far west. He and his companions 
arrived safely at Vinland ; they found, and for a time 
occupied, the very huts, or Leifsbooths, which their 
predecessors had erected ; explored much of the coun- 
try, continuing therein two whole years ; and finally, 
coasting their way eastward towards home, fell in with 
the Skrellings, or Esquimaux, with whom, as the 
chronicler relates, " they came to blows," in which 
rencontre Thorwald lost his life, and his remains were 
buried on a promontory which he had admired a day 
or two before for its picturesque beauty. Upon this 
promontory, or point of land, the survivors erected a 
number of crosses, naming it Crossness " in all time 
coming." We are told further that Thorstein Ericson, 
a brother of the deceased, fitted out a ship with the 
view to fetching home the remains of Thorwald, but 
was frustrated in the attempt by a succession of adverse 
gales which eventually drove him upon the tvestern 
settlement of Greenland, where he died during the 
winter. 

The next year, one Thorfinn, a person of great sub- 



INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



stance, of illustrious lineage, and Irish descent, took Ms 
departure from Greenland for those remote south- 
westerly regions. His ships, three in number, after 
encountering the usual amount of sea obstacles, reached 
the places described by the preceding adventurers — 
namely, Helluland and Markland, (the latter about 
three days' sail to the south west of t^ie former,) where 
they made some tarry, and afterwards steering towards 
the south, came upon Vinland, or land of grapes, which 
refreshing and dehcious fruit they found there in 
abundance. Having fulfilled his mission, Thorfinn 
bade farewell to Vinland, leaving it on the left, and so 
retracing his course along shore, touched successively 
at Markland, " the land of thick woods," and at Hellu- 
land — remarkable for its icebergs, slate-rocks, and 
foxes, — and after some weeks' sailing on the ocean, 
arrived once more in safety at Ericsford, in Greenland. 

Such are some of the accounts handed down to us, 
through the medium of ancient manuscripts, of voyages 
athwart the Atlantic by the Scandinavian Northmen. 
That they are worthy of credence can scarcely be 
doubted after the unqualified admissions of the illustri- 
ous individuals who compose the association before 
referred to. 

Assuming Markland to be identical with our modern 
Nova Scotia, then it follows that the land situated at 
the distance of three or four days' sail thence in a 
north-easterly direction must have been no other than 
Newfoundland (proper), or the coast of Labrador, 



10 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 

while the region discovered at a similar distance to the 
south-west of Markland must have been the coast of 
what now forms the State of Massachusetts. At one of 
the more southerly positions attained by these " ancient 
mariners," the sun was observed to rise at half-past 
seven and set at half-past four, giving nine hours for the 
shortest day. With these data there can be no diffi- 
culty in deducing the latitude of the place of observa- 
tion, which must have been in 41° 24' 10". There are 
other particulars, equally convincing, which go to 
corroborate the reports so long in circulation about the 
discovery of America by the ancient Scandinavians ; 
but we must rest here, and refer the reader, curious 
in such matters, to the extended report in the 
Antiquitates American.^, published by the Royal 
Society of Northern Antiquaries. 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUlNDLAND. 



CHAPTER I. 

OF THE DISCOVERY OF NEWFOUNDLAND BY JOHN CABOT. 

(1497—1583.) 

Question. By whom was this country discovered 
in the fifteenth century ? 

Answer. By John Gabota, or Cabot, a Vene- 
tian, who, on a voyage of discovery in the reign and 
under the sanction of Henry VII. of England, (on 
the 24th June, 1497,) fell in with that part of the 
Island called Cape Bonavista. 

Q. Did Cabot make any stay here ? 

A. No ; he coasted along the continent of 
America until he found himself in latitude 38° 
North, when, being short of provisions, he returned 
to England with '' a good cargo." 

Q. Of what did this cargo consist ? 

A. Probably of furs and fish ; he carried with 
him also three of the aborigines of the island of St. 
John, now Prince Edward Island. 



12 CATECHISM OP THE 

Q. What name did Cabot give to Newfoundland ? 

A. That of Baccalaos, the Indian name for 
cod-fish. 

Q. In what year did Europeans begin to estab- 
lish a fishery on these shores ? 

A. In 1502. 

Q. What people were the first to embark in this 
adventure ? 

A, The Portuguese, and subsequently the Bis- 
cayans and the French ; the first of whom had, in 
1578, no fewer than 50 vessels engaged in this 
occupation. 

Q. \Yho was Grasper de Corte Real ? 

A. A distinguished Portuguese, who, in 1501, 
visited this country ; he gave to Conception Bay its 
present name. 

Q. When did the English begin to be fully 
aware of the great importance of the Newfoundland 
fishery ? 

A. About the year 1540. 

Q. What British ports were then most exten- 
sively engaged in this branch of commerce 1 

A. London, Biddeford, Bristol and Barnstaple. 

Q. Were there not in the reign of Elizabeth 
some illustrious characters engaged in expeditions to 
this Island ? 

A. There were, namely, — Sir Humphry Gilbert 
and his relative Sir Walter Raleio-li. 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 13 

Q. In what year did Sir Humphry take posses- 
sion of this Island in the name of his sovereign 
Elizabeth? 

A, He formally took possession on the 5th 
August, 1583. 

Q. Did he meet with any opposition ? 

A. At first he did ; the masters of the foreign 
vessels lying in the harbor of St. John's refused to 
admit him into port; but upon his preparing to 
gain an entrance by force, they thought it expedient 
not to offer resistance. 

Q. How many vessels had Sir Humphry under 
his command ? 

A. Four; five had originally been fitted out, 
but one of them, the Raleigh, having on board Sir 
Walter himself, was, in consequence of an infectious 
distemper which broke out among the crew, obliged 
to put back to England. 

Q. After effecting an entrance, in what manner 
did Sir Humphry proceed ? 

A. He convened a general meeting of the 
British and foreign merchants, — caused the com- 
mission under the Great Seal of England to be read 
in their presence — informed them that he person- 
ally stood in possession of the harbor of St. John's 
and all the adjacent land within the circumference of 
six hundred miles, and also that he was duly empow- 
ered to enact laws for the government of the same. 

B 



14 CATECHISM OP THE 

Q. What followed ? 

A. He granted several portions of his land ; 
caused parties to explore the coast and examine the 
interior ; and on the 20th August in the same year, 
set sail from St. John's on a cruize to the west- 
ward. 

Q. Did the voyage prove fortunate ? 

A. No ; on the 27th of that month they bore in 
upon the land, and a violent gale springing up from 
the S. E. accompanied by heavy rain and thick fog, 
it was with the greatest difficulty that the fleet was 
preserved from entire destruction. 

Q. Were any of the vessels lost ? 

A. Yes ; at day-break on the 29th, in latitude 
45° North, and about 260 miles to the West of Cape 
Race, (probably on the Isle of Sable,) the Delight , 
Capt. Maurice Brown, went on shore and was 
dashed to pieces ; the others fortunately gained the 
open sea and escaped. 

Q. Were the crew of the Delight saved ? 

A. Out of 116 souls, 14 only got safe to land ; 
the captain was among the number that perished. 

Q. What became of the other ships ? 

A. On the first of September, orders were given 
to steer for England. In about a week after, a 
dreadful storm arose, when the Squirrel (Su: Hum- 
phry's vessel) sunk, and her crew together with her 
illustrious commander unhappily were drowned. 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 15 

The remaining vessel (the Golden Hind) arrived in 
Falmouth in thirteen days after. 

Q. What remarkable expression was Sir Hum- 
phry heard to repeat on the evening previous to this 
fatal disaster ? 

A. This — *' Courage my lads, we are as near 
heaven at sea as we are on land." 

Q. Have you not said that there was another 
vessel engaged in this adventure ? 

A. Yes ; she was called the Swallow. 

Q. What became of her ? 

A. Previously to leaving St. John's, Sir Hum- 
phry had despatched her to England with a con- 
siderable number of his followers, some of whom 
were sick, and others disinclined to proceed farther 
on the voyage. 



CHAPTER II. 

OF THE SETTLEMENTS ATTEMPTED IN THE REIGN OP 
JAMES I., ETC. 

(1583 — 1630.) 

Q. Did the disastrous results of the foregoing 
expedition put a stop to these adventures ? 

A. No ; several attempts were soon afterwards 
made to plant a colony here, the most remarkable of 
which was one in 1610, by a company of English 



16 CATECHISM OF THE 

gentlemen of the first respectability, among whom 
are to be found the names of Earl Southampton, Sir 
Percival Willoughby, and the great Sir Francis 
Bacon. 

Q. Did this company obtain a grant of any 
portion of the Island ? 

A. They did. 

Q. Of what part? 

A. By letters patent, dated 27th April, 1610, 
James I. gave them all that part of Newfoundland 
lying between Cape Bonavista and Cape St. Mary. 

Q. Did any of these individuals actually visit 
this island? 

A. , No. 

Q. Under whose direction then was the Colony 
sent hither ? 

A. Under the direction of Mr. John Guy, who 
after a short passage arrived at Mosquito Cove, in 
Conception Bay, where he erected temporary dwell- 
ings, and opened a promising intercourse with the 
native Indians. 

Q. Were the hopes of these emigrants realized ? 

A. It is not likely they were ; for we learn that the 
whole party very shortly after returned to England. 

Q. Did the fishery on the coast still continue to 
engage the attention of the British public ? 

A. It did. 

Q. What steps were taken by the home govern- 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 17 

ment at the time, to remedy abuses and settle such 
disputes as would naturally arise in the prosecution 
of the fishery ? 

A. A Commissioner named "Whitburn was sent 
hither to hold courts ; he had power to empanel 
juries and try cases in the ordinary way. 

Q. When were permanent dwelling houses first 
erected in Newfoundland ? 

A. About the year 1614. 

Q. Who was Sir George Calvert ? 

A. Principal Secretary of State to James I. 
By letters patent, in 1623, he became absolute lord 
and proprietor of all the south-east part of the island 
comprehended in the extensive peninsula formed by 
the bays of Placentia and Trinity. This he erected 
into a province under the name of Avalon, and 
sending thither a considerable colony, appointed a 
Capt, Wynn as governor. 

Q. In what part of the province did Wynn 
settle ? 

A. At Ferryland, where he built a large dwell- 
ing house, a granary, and some stores. 

Q. Did not Wynn in the following year return 
a flattering report of the soil and climate ? 

A. He did ; in his despatches to Sir George, he 
stated that so early as the 17th August, wheat, 
barley and oats were eared, and that various garden 
vegetables had attained maturity. 



18 CATECHISM OF THE 



Q. "WTiat effect had these accounts upon the 



absent proprietor ? 

A. That of inducing him to remove thither with 
his family ; he had lately been created Lord Balti- 
more ; and upon his arrival at Ferryland he caused 
a house suitable to his rank to be erected, and also 
a strong fort. 

Q. How long did he reside there ? 

A. He, or at least some part of his family, 
resided there for many years. 

Q. What subsequently happened ? 

A. Finding at length that his plantation was 
exposed to the depredations of the French, whose 
men-of-war were continually hovering on the coast, 
and that neither the soil nor the climate was so 
favorable to vegetation as he had at first' been led to 
believe, he returned to England, and after obtaining 
a grant of lands on the neighboring continent, he 
suffered his possessions in Ferryland gradually to 
sink into decay. 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 19 



CHAPTER III. 

THE INTRODUCTION OF A EEGULAE SYSTEM BY CHARLES I. 

(1633 — 1634.) 

Q. "What British Monarch first caused a regular 
system to be adopted, with a view to the better gov- 
erning of this island ? 

A, Charles I. 

Q. In what year ? 

A. In the year 1633. 

Q. Can you recount the substance of the most 
important of these regulations ? 

A. Yes, — they ordained that all persons accused 
of murder or theft (if the article stolen exceeded the 
value of forty shillings) should be conveyed to Eng- 
land for trial ; that no flakes, fishing-stages, or cook- 
rooms, should be demolished at the end of the voy- 
age ; that no ballast-stones should be thrown over- 
board in the harbors ; that according to the ancient 
custom, the master of the fishino^ vessel first arri\^nor 
at any port should be admiral of the same during 
that season ; that no taverns or houses of entertam- 
ment should be set up ; and, lastly, that divine ser- 
vice, according to the established religion, should be 
duly celebrated on every Sunday. 



20 CATECHISM OP THE 

Q. Was there not great inconvenience experi- 
enced in carrying prisoners to England for trial ? 

A. Unquestionably there was ;^ and as it often 
happened that a number of witnesses was indispen- 
sable, heavy expenses also were necessarily incurred. 

Q. What extent of power did the Government 
confer upon those fishing admirals ? 

A. They were authorised to determine any mat- 
ters of dispute that might arise out of the ordinary 
transactions of the fishery ; to see that all local rules 
and regulations were duly observed and carried out ; 
and to enforce obedience to sundry acts of the 
Imperial Parliament. Partiality and corruption, 
however, were the more prominent features of their 
courts. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(1634 — 1728.) 

Q. In what year did France, rather than relin- 
quish the privilege of fishing on this coast, submit to 
pay a tribute to the British government ? 

A, In 1634, and continued to do so for forty-one 
years. It amounted to five per cent, on all fish 
taken by the French. In the reign of Charles II. 
however, this tribute was given up, and, from that 
moment, the French fishery rapidly increased. 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 21 

Q. Did the French, in 1626, settle a colony in 
Placentia ? 

A. They did ; which led to frequent disagree- 
ments between them and the English. 

Q. Were there many English settlements in 
Newfoundland in 1654? 

A. It is recorded that there were fifteen different 
settlements existing at that time, and nearly four 
hundred families. 

Q. What remarkable events happened in 1696 ? 

A. The town of St. John's was taken and 
destroyed by a French fleet, and all the settlements 
in the country were demolished, except those at 
Bonavista and Carbonear, which effectually defended 
themselves. An English frigate lying in Bay Bulls 
was likewise taken and destroyed. 

Q. What put a temporary stop to those depre- 
dations ? 

A. The peace concluded at Eyswick in Holland, 
between England and France. 

Q. What understanding then took place between 
these two nations relative to Newfoundland ? 

A. They mutually agreed that it should be 
placed in the same state of division, with respect to 
each other, as it was at the commencement of the 
war. 

Q. How long did it remain in this state ? 

A. Until 1702, when war was again declared. 



22 CATECHISM OP THE 

Q. What followed this declaration ? 

A. Queen Anne, then on the throne of England, 
sent a squadron hither under Sir John Leake, who 
gained possession of the whole country, captured no 
less than nine-and-twenty sail of the enemy, and 
returned home with his prizes towards the end of 
October. 

Q. Did the English long remain in undisputed 
possession ? 

A. No ; for very shortly afterwards the French 
attempted to become the sole masters of the Island ; 
their garrison at Placentia received from Canada 
such accessions of strength as to be able, in 1705, to 
make a formidable attack upon the forts at St. 
John's. 

Q. Was their attack upon these forts attended 
with success ? 

A. No ; but they succeeded in spreading their 
devastations northward as far as Bonavista. In the 
following year they were again expelled by the Eng- 
lish, and many of their men-of-war and fishing vessels 
either captured or destroyed. 

Q. Did this put an end to the contentions of 
these two nations in regard to Newfoundland ? 

A. It did not. So impressed were their respec- 
tive governments with the conviction of the import- 
ance of this island, that for the eight subsequent 
years the whole country presented a scene of per- 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 23 

petual conflict, being sometimes in the hands of the 
English and at other times in the hands of the French. 

Q. Was it solely on account of her fisheries that 
Newfoundland engrossed so much attention ! 

A. Her fishery was not the only thing that 
rendered her an object of importance ; she formed an 
extensive nursery for seamen, and occupied a com- 
manding geographical position with respect to the 
Canadas. 

Q. Was it not about the time of which we are 
speaking that the first Episcopal Missionary was 
appointed for this country ? 

A. Yes, in 1705 ; his salary was but £50 per 
annum, though he had to perform his clerical duties 
at settlements nearly 200 miles apart. 

Q. What was the treaty of Utrecht ? 

A. A compact of peace between England and 
her allies on the one part, and France on the other ; 
concluded at the city of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, 
on the 4th of April, 1713. 

Q. What was the substance of such part of 
this treaty as related to this country ? 

A. Newfoundland and the adjacent islands were 
declared to belong wholly to Great Britain, — liberty 
was given to the French to catch and dry fish only 
on that part of the coast lying to the north of Cape 
Bonavista and stretching along the western shore as 
far as Point Riche ; — they were not to make any 



24 CATECHISM OF THE 

fortifications or erections, except such as were neces- 
sary for the fishery ; nor were they to remain in the 
Island longer than the process of curing their fish 
absolutely required. 

Q. Was not the number of inhabitants in 1713 
found to be considerably increased ? 

A. Yes. 

Q. In what state was society at this period ? 

A. In a very disorderly one, owing to the differ- 
ences which arose between the more resident popula- 
tion, on the one hand, and those who only visited the 
island during the fishing season, on the other. 

Q. What produced these disagreements ? 

A. The advantage which the residents took of 
the others' absence to occupy, each returning spring, 
the places most convenient for conducting the 
fishery. This was looked upon as unfair by the dis- 
appointed party, who took every opportunity to 
annoy their rivals. 

Q. Did the resident population receive at this 
time any encouragement from the home government? 

A. No ; the government at home were entirely 
opposed to the policy of rendering Newfoundland a 
permanent settlement. They regarded it rather as 
a temporary platform for the convenience of fisher- 
men while prosecuting their voyage during the 
summer season. 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAJ^D. 25 



CHAPTER V. 

(1728 — 1762.) 

Q. In what year were a Governor and regular 
Justices of the Peace appointed ? 

A. In 1728. 

Q. Who was the Governor ? 

A. Captain Henry Osborne, of His Majesty's 
Ship Squirrel, an officer of distinguished merit and 
ability. 

Q. "What steps did he take on assuming the 
government ? 

A. He selected a competent person to fill the 
office of High Sheriff for the island, — authorized the 
Captains of the Ships of War then on the station to 
hold Surrogate Courts for the decision of civil 
causes, and corrected many abuses which had crept 
into society. 

Q. \Vhatelsedidhedo? 

A. He divided the Island into convenient dis- 
tricts ; levied a rate of half a quintal of fish on all 
boats and boats' rooms, or fishing establishments, for 
the construction of prisons ; and with a view to the 
more summary punishment of evil doers in the more 
c 



26 CATECHISM OF THE 

populous settlements he caused to be erected several 
pair of stocks. 

Q. Was the Governor supported in these salu- 
tary measures by the Fishing Admirals ? 

A. No ; they were jealous of his power, and did 
all that they could to thwart and oppose hun. 

Q. What took place in 1737 ? 

A, The Governor was empowered to establish a 
Court of Oyer and Terminer. 

Q. Why was this Court instituted ? 

A. In consequence of the increase of crime, and 
the delay and expense which attended the sending 
of delinquents to England for trial, as stated in a 
former chapter. 

Q. Who was Governor in 1740. 

A. The Right Hon. Lord George Graham. 

Q. By whom was he succeeded ? 

A. By the Hon. John Byng, in the following 
year. 

Q. Did anything worthy of note happen during 
his administration ? 

A. Numerous captures were made by the squad- 
ron under his command on the vessels of Spain, 
which nation was then at war with England. 

Q. How were these prizes disposed of ? 

A. A Vice- Admiralty Court was established 
here, which prevented the necessity of sending them 
across the Atlantic for trial and condemnation. 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 27 

Q, Who was the succeeding Governor ? 

A. Sir Charles Hardy, Captain of His Majesty's 
Ship Jersey. 

Q. In what year was he appointed ? 

A. In 1744. 

Q. When did Lord Rodney assume the gov- 
ernment ? 

A. In the year 1749; he was then a Post 
Captain. 

Q. What is to be remarked of 1754 ? 

A, It was in this year that Lord Baltimore 
revived his claim to the province of Avalon ; but he 
had been so long out of possession that his claim was 
disallowed. 

Q. Are you aware of any events in 1760 worthy 
of remembrance ? 

A. An attempt was this year made by one Scott 
and others to open an intercourse with the Indians ; 
but both he and his companions were treacherously 
killed. 

Q. Who was Lord Rodney's successor ? 

A. Governor Drake. 

Q. What is remarkable of 1761 ? 

A. So inconsiderable was the naval force on the 
station, that in order to protect the homeward-bound 
vessels, a merchant brig was equipped at the joint 
expense of the trade. The command was given to 
Lieut. John Neal. 



28 CATECHISM OP THE 

Q. What was the consecjuenco of leaving the 
island in this unprotected state ? 

A. It was visited in the following year by a 
French squadron, which arrived at Bay Bulls on the 
24th of June : here they landed some troops, who 
proceeded overland to St. John's. 

Q, Kelate what followed ? 

A. The garrison at St. John's being incapable 
of defence, immediately surrendered, and sixty 
soldiers, together with the officers and crew of His 
Majesty's Ship Gramont^ then lying in port, were 
made prisoners of war. 

Q. Were their depredations confined to St. 
John's? 

A. No; they likewise took Carbonear and 
Trinity, where they inflicted every kind of injury on 
the fishery and trade. 



CHAPTER VI. 

(1762 — 1763.) 

Q. You have stated that in 1762 the French 
were successful in their attack upon Newfoundland. 
How long did they hold possession of the country ? 

A. But for a very few months. Intelligence of 
the affair having reached Lord Colville, at Halifax, 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 29 

he immediately set sail for this coast. On arriving 
with his squadron off the mouth of St. John's, he 
found a superior number of the enemy, under the 
command of Admiral de Ternay, lying within at 
anchor. 

Q. What subsequently happened ? 

A. Lord Colville, being joined by some trans- 
ports having on board about eight hundred men, 
made immediate preparations for an attack. The 
troops, who were under the command of Colonel 
Amherst, effected a landing at Torbay, under a gall- 
ing fire, and advanced upon Quidi Vidi, which they 
took sword in hand. They afterwards turned their 
attention to the commanding batteries on Signal Hill, 
then in the possession of the French, and such was 
the bravery of the British troops, that in a few 
moments the enemy were driven from their guns. 

Q. Did not the French still occupy some strong 
forts in the centre of the town ? 

A. They did ; but, on the night of the 17th 
September, after sustaining for some hours a brisk 
fire from their assailants, they surrendered them- 
selves prisoners of war. 

Q. Have you not said that Lord Colville, upon 
his arrival off St. John's, found a French squadron 
lying within at anchor ? 

A. Yes. 

Q. Did these ships take no part in this conflict ? 
c* 



30 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. No ; for they had previously put to sea 
under cover of a thick fog. 

Q. Where were the British fleet at this time ? 

A. They had been driven oflf to sea by a heavy 
gale of wind. 

Q. Did they fall in with the enemy's ships ? 

A. They descried them at a distance, but 
declined giving chase. 

Q. Do you know the amount of loss sustained 
by the British in this action ? 

A. About twenty men, besides Lieut. Schuyler, 
of the Royal Americans, were killed. Captain 
McDonald, who commanded in the attack on Signal 
Hill, died of his wounds; and some other officers 
were severely wounded, but recovered. 

Q. Were there not two individuals, inhabitants of 
the Island, who took an active and most praiseworthy 
part in the occurrences of those times ? 

A. There were, — namely, Robert Carter, Esq., 
of Ferryland, and Charles Garland, Esq., of Harbor 
Grace ; the former supported a garrison at the Isle 
of Boys, and the latter a detachment of military on 
the island at the entrance to Carbonear. Their ser- 
vices were afterwards most honorably acknowledged 
by the Government. 

Q. What circumstance may be adduced as a 
proof of the high opinion which the French govern- 
ment entertained as to the importance of New- 
foundland V 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 31 

A. By a definitive treaty, signed at Paris towards 
the beginning of 1763, France renounced all her 
pretensions to Nova Scotia, for the privilege of 
catching and curing fish on the northern parts of this 
Island. 

Q. Wlien was the coast of Labrador annexed to 
the government of Newfoundland ? 

A, About the year 1763. 

Q. What illustrious person was engaged in a 
survey of the coasts about the period last mentioned ? 

A. The celebrated navigator, Captain James 
Cook. 



CHAPTER VII. 

(1763 — 1774.) 

Q. What was the amount of population in 1763 ? 

A. About thirteen thousand; but of these not 
more than one half were constant residents. 

Q. What was then the extent of the fishery ? 

A. In that year, no less than 386,274 quintals 
of codfish were taken and cured; 694 tierces of 
salmon, and the produce of train-oil was 1598 tuns. 

Q. Can you tell the value of the furs obtained 
in this year ? 

A. It exceeded £2000. 



32 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. Have you any idea of the number of vessels 
tlien employed in the trade ? 

A. Yes ; nearly 400. 

Q. Was the seal-fishery prosecuted at this time ? 

A. No. 

Q. In what year was Captain Hugh Palliser 
sent hither as Governor. 

A. In 1764, and continued till 1768. The 
rules and regulations which he made relative to the 
fishery afterwards passed into law. 

Q. By whom was he succeeded ? 

A. By the Hon. John Byron, who was the first 
that issued a proclamation for the protection of the 
native savages. 

Q. Who was his successor ? 

A. Commodore Molineaux, in 1772. He was 
afterwards created Lord Shuldham. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(1774 — 1786.) 

Q. Was Europe the only quarter from which 
Newfoundland received supplies at this period ? 

A. No ; she imported from various parts of 
America, and in particular from the United States, at 
that time dependencies of Great Britain. From 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 33 

these she imported provisions amounting to upwards 
of three hundred thousand pounds, annually. 

Q. What effect had the memorable rupture 
which took place between Britain and her American 
colonies upon Newfoundland ? 

A. A very serious one ; — the general Congress 
of the States having, in the fall of 1774, issued an 
order prohibiting the exportation of provisions to 
such of the sister colonies as remained unfriendly to 
the American cause, a scarcity of food, such as had 
never before been experienced in the country, pre- 
vailed throughout the land. 

Q. What is remarkable of 1775 ? 

A. One of the heaviest storms ever remembered 
in this Island occurred in that year. The sea sud- 
denly rose twenty feet above its usual height, and 
the consequent loss of property on the land was 
immense. Numbers of square-rigged vessels went 
on shore, and were totally lost ; hundreds of smaller 
craft shared the same fate ; and it is estimated that 
at least three hundred human beings perished. 

Q. Did the Americans after their declaration of 
war commit any depredations on this coast ? 

A. They did ; and so well acquainted were they 
with the various harbors and coves, that they suc- 
ceded in capturing vessels while lying at their 
owners' wharves. 

Q. Were not the towns of Harbor Grace and 



34 CATECHISM OP THE 

Carbonear very much annoyed by the privateers of 
that nation ? 

A. At first they were, till batteries of sufficient 
strength were erected at the mouths of those harbors. 

Q. When was Rear Admiral Montague appointed 
Grovemor ? 

A. In 1776. 

Q. For what was l^is administration remarkable ? 

A. Chiefly for the measures adopted to enforce 
pacific relations with the native tribes, many of 
whom had been killed by the out-port settlers. 

Q. Who next succeeded to the government ? 

A. Rear Admiral Edwards, in 1779. 

Q. Who had charge of affairs in 1782 ? 

A. Vice Admiral John Campbell. His Secre- 
tary was Mr. Aaron Graham, from whose abilities 
the colony derived much benefit. 

Q. What nations participated with England at 
this time in the right to take fish on this coast ? 

A. None — the English possessed the exclusive 
right. 

Q. Did England preserve the exclusive right 
from that time forward ? 

A. No; France and the United States were 
re-admitted to a participation at the close of the war. 

Q. What were the limits and extent of the 
French Shore, or that part of the coast on which the 
people of that nation were allowed to fish, as defined 
at the cessation of hostilites ? 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 35 

A. It was agreed that France should renounce 
her right of fishing on that line of coast lying between 
Cape Bonavista and Cape St. John ; but from the 
latter Cape, situate on the eastern side of the Island, 
and in latitude about the fiftieth degree, she was, 
after proceeding north about, to extend her privilege 
down the western shores as far as Cape Ray. 

Q. Was it understood by this agreement that 
the French fishermen were to enjoy within these 
bounds an exclusive right of fishery ? 

A. The Government of France has always 
regarded it so, though the claim has been steadily 
opposed by our colonists, and repeatedly questioned 
in the British Parliament. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(1786 — 1811.) 

Q. Who was Governor in 1786 ? 

A. Rear Admiral Elliot. 

Q. When was a Court of Common Pleas first 
established here ? 

A. In 1789, by Admkal Mark Milbank, who 
was then Governor. 

Q. Was not this followed by a Court of Civil 
and Criminal Jurisdiction ? 



36 CATECHISM OP THE 

A. Yes; it was called ** 77ie Supreme Court 
of Newfou7idland.^^ 

Q. Who was appointed Judge of this Court ? 

A. John Reeves, Esq., with a Commission as 
Chief Justice of the Island. Mr. Reeves was an 
eminent lawyer, and a man of extensive acquirements 
and deep penetration. During his short continu- 
ance in office, numerous abuses that had crept into 
the inferior courts were remedied, and the proceed- 
ings of those tribunals were thenceforth conducted 
with more regularity and order. 

Q. In what year did the French Admiral 
Richery destroy the town of Bay Bulls ? 

A. In the year 1796. 

Q. What number of vessels had Richery under 
his command ? 

A. Nine sail of the line, and several frigates. 

Q. Who was Governor in this year ? 

A. Sir James Wallace, an officer of great deter- 
mination and spirit. He made efficient preparations 
to repel Richery in the event of his attacking the 
town of St. John's ; but the latter, upon ascertain- 
ing the strength of the fortifications, thought it advis- 
able to keep at a distance. 

Q. By whom was Wallace succeeded ? 

A. By Yice Admiral Waldegrave. 

Q. Are you informed as to the extent of the 
fishery at this period ? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 37 

A. The numLer of quintals of codfish reported to 
have been cured in 1795, was six hundred thousand, 
valued at eighteen shillings per quintal. Four 
thousand nine hundred seals were also taken, besides 
a vast quantity of salmon. The whole amount of 
capital vested this year in the trade, was estimated at 
little less than a million and a half pounds sterling. 

Q. Who was Judge of the Supreme Court, dur- 
ins; the administration of Admiral Waldegrave ? 

A. Richard Routh, Esq. 

Q. When did Admiral Gambler administer the 
govenmient ? 

A. From 1801 to 1803. He was succeeded by 
Sir Erasmus Gower. 

Q. What attempts were made to benefit society 
at this junctui-e ? 

A. Sunday schools were introduced ; and associ- 
ations for the relief of the poor, (termed Benevolent 
Irish Societies,) were formed, both in the capital and 
Conception Bay. 

Q. What event worthy of note happened in 1 807 ? 

A. The first newspaper ever issued in the Island 
was published this year; it was entitled ''The 
Royal Gazette, and Newfoundland Advertiser." 
The proprietor was Mr. John Ryan. 

Q. What occurred in 1808 ? 

A. The formation at St. John's of a Volunteer 
Militia. 



38 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. Were not the Courts of Judicature, which 
had hitherto been merely the subject of experiment, 
established on a more permanent footing about this 
time ? 

A. Yes. 

Q. Was the coast of Labrador included in the 
government of Newfoundland at the period of which 
you speak ? 

A. It had been separated from it for some time, 
but was now re-annexed to it under the administra- 
tion of Admiral Hollo way. 

Q. Who succeeded him V 

A. Sir John Thomas Duckworth, K. B., in 
1810. 

Q. What were among the first acts of his 
administration 1 

A. He issued a proclamation for the protection 
of the Indians ; and sent to the Bay of Exploits a 
small armed schooner, under the command of Lieut. 
Buchan, for the purpose of obtaining more authentic 
information respecting that ill-used people. 

Q. What was the result of this expedition ? 

A. Nothing beneficial was accomplished, and 
two of the marines whom Lieut. Buchan had with 
him as a guard, were killed by the savages. 

Q. What took place in 1811 "? 

A. An act authorizing the holding of Surrogate 
Courts on the Coast of Labrador, was passed by the 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 39 

British Parliament ; some necessary improvements 
were effected in re-building St. John's ; and a gov- 
ernmental reward of one hundred pounds was offered 
::o any person who should bring about a friendly 
anderstanding with the Red Indian tribe. 



CHAPTER X. 

Q. Did anything worthy of notice happen in 
1812? 

A. War between Great Britain and the United 
States of America broke out on the 17th June ; con- 
sequently much excitement and alarm prevailed 
throughout the Island. 

Q. In what year was the treaty of Paris con- 
cluded ? 

A. The treaty of Paris was concluded on the 
17th June, 1814, exactly two years after the Ameri- 
can declaration of war. 

Q. What reference was made to Newfoundland 
in this treaty ? 

A. So much of the treaty of Utrecht as gave to 
the English the possession of all the adjacent islands, 
was abrogated ; and the French right of fishing 
placed on the same footing as in 1792. 



40 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. What change began about this period to be 
efFectecl in the fisheries of this island ? 

A. The hank fishery suffered a considerable fall- 
ing off, while the outfit for Labrador was greatly 
increased. The sealing voyage began to be more 
extensively prosecuted, and the vessels employed 
therein to be of a larger size. 

Q. Can you furnish an idea of the extent and 
value of the exports in 1814 ? 

A. One million two hundred thousand quintals 
of dried codfish were exported in this year, valued at 
£2 per quintal, besides twenty thousand quintals of 
core fish, shipped off in barrels ; six thousand tuns of 
cod or train oil, at £32 per tun ; one hundred and 
fifty-six thousand seal skins, at bs. each ; four thou- 
sand six hundred and sixty-six tuns of seal oil, at 
£36 per tun ; besides salmon, mackerel, furs, and 
berries, amounting to £10,000 sterling. 

Q. Do you know what were then the current 
prices of some of the principal articles of pro- 
vision ? 

A. Bread sold at £4 per cwt. ; flour at £6 per 
barrel ; pork, £8 to £10 per barrel ; butter at 35. 
per pound ; salt, per hhd. 40s. ; and shop goods, or 
wearing apparel, in proportion. 

Q. Were not servants' wages enormously higli at 
this juncture ? 

A. Yes ; an ordinary fisherman obtained at the 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 41 

rate of £12 per montli, while a superior ''splitter^"* 
could command £20 for the same period. 

Q. What effect had the peace of 1814 upon the 
trade of this Island ? 

A. A severe and general depression was imme- 
diately felt ; the decline which took place in the 
value of the staple products of the colony, and the 
numerous mercantile failures consequent upon this 
change, produced universal embarrassment. 

Q. Who succeeded Sir John Thos. Duckworth ? 

A. 8ir Richard Goodwin Keates. 

Q. What events happened in 1816 ? 

A. The destruction of a large portion of St. 
John's by fire, in the month of February ; as also the 
parish church at Harbor Grace in the following 
autumn. 

Q. Did not the fire at St. John's, at so inclement 
a season, produce great suffering ? 

A. It necessarily did ; but the distress was in 
part alleviated by a liberal grant from the Parent 
Government, whicli was distributed among the suf- 
ferers through a Committee of Relief. 

Q. What occurred in 1817. 

A. A scarcity of food, which prevailed through- 
out the Island from January till June ; insomuch 
that mobs arose in various places, opened the stores 
by force, and carried off the provisions. This season 
of scarcity is known as the " Winter of the Balk.'' 



42 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. Did not the British Parliament institute an 
inquiry into the state of the colony this year ? 

A. It did. 

Q. What did this elicit ? 

A. That 800 vessels were annually employed in 
the trade and fisheries, and that the yearly produce 
of the country amounted to two millions of pounds 
sterling ; the population was estimated at 80,000. 

Q. Who was Governor in 1817 ? 

A. Vice Admiral Pickmore. 

Q. What were the most memorable events of 
this year ? 

A. Two extensive fires in the town of St. John's, 
which consumed upwards of two hundred houses, 
besides a large number of stores containing an 
immense quantity of provisions, imported as supphes 
for the winter season. Both these conflagrations 
happened in November. 

Q. To whom were the inhabitants of St. John's 
greatly indebted on this occasion 'i 

A. To the citizens of Boston, who, on hearing 
the news, freighted a vessel, and with characteristic 
generosity despatched her with food to the relief of 
the sufferers. 

Q. Is this noble act on the part of the citizens of 
Boston still remembered in the colony ? 

A. Yes, with feelings of gratitude. 

Q. What took place in 1818 ? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 43 

A. The death of the Grovernor, Vice Admiral 
Pickmore ; his remains were conveyed to England in 
His Majesty's Ship Fly. 

Q. Who assumed the temporary management of 
iiffairs, on the decease of the Governor ? 

A. Capt. Bowker, of H. M. S Sir Francis 
Drake. 

Q. When did Sir Charles Hamilton come hither 
as Governor ? 

A. In the course of the same year. 

Q. For what was 1818 remarkable ? 

A. For its successful fisheries, and the conse- 
quent revival of trade and commerce. 

Q. Who was Chief Justice during the adminis- 
tration of Sir Charles Hamilton ? 

A. Francis Forbes, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn ; his 
talents were of a high order, and his decisions on the 
Bench gave general satisfaction ; he came into office 
on the 4th Augiist, 1816, and continued therein for 
about six years. 

Q. How were the laws administered in the out- 
ports at the period in question ? 

A. By means of Surrogate and Sessions Courts. 
Appeals from the Surrogate to the Supreme Court 
lay in suits exceeding £40. 

Q. Can you name any institutions that were 
established here in 1822 ? 

A. " The Newfoundland Free Schools," in con- 



44 CATECHISM OF THE 

nection with " The Newfoundland and British North 
America School Society." 

Q. Who succeeded Mr. Forbes in the office of 
Chief Justice V 

A. Kichard Alexander Tucker, Esq., A. M., of 
the Inner Temple, on the 5th May, 1823 ; a gentle- 
man of high standing in his profession, and one 
deservedly esteemed by the people generally. 



CHAPTER XI. 

(1826 — 1831.) 

Q. What change was effected in the judicial 
system, in 182G V 

A A very important one, which was authorized 
by a Royal Charter, promulgated on the 2d of 
January, under the administration of Sir Thomas 
Cochrane. 

Q. What was the substance of this charter ? 

A. It directed that in future the Supreme Court 
of Newfoundland should be held by a Chief Judge, 
and two Assistant Judges, that the Island should be 
divided in three districts — a Northern, Central, and 
Southern ; — that at each of these, three separate 
Circuit Courts should be held, in which one or other 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 45 

of the said judges should preside ; — that the 
Supreme Court should admit a sufficient number of 
qualified Attorneys and Solicitors to practice in the 
several courts. 

Q. What were the salaries assigned respectively 
to these judges ? 

A. Twelve hundred pounds sterling per annum 
for the Chief Judge, and seven hundred, each, for 
the two assistants. 

Q. Was there not an expedition into the interior 
undertaken in 1827. 

A. Yes. 

Q. What was its object ? 

A. The civilization of the native Indians V 

Q. Who had charge of this expedition ? 

A. Mr. E. Cormack. 

Q. Was the enterprise successful. 

A. No ; not a single Indian was fallen in with, 
though the expedition penetrated the heart of the 
country, traversing the island from east to west. 
Some curious and valuable information, however, 
was obtained respecting its agricultural capabilities 
and mineral wealth. 

Q. In what year was Newfoundland first visited 
by a Protestant Bishop ? 

A. In 1827, by Dr. Inglis, then Bishop of Nova 
Scotia. Governor Cochrane returned to England for 
a few months this year, and during his absence the 



46 CATECHISM OF THE 

administration of affairs devolved upon Chief Justice 
Tucker, as President of the Council. 

Q. What occurrences of note happened in 1828? 

A. The public road between the Cove and St. 
John's was greatly improved, partly by private sub- 
scription, but chiefly at the expense of the local gov- 
ernment ; the building of the new Government 
House was commenced, and the cultivation of the 
soil met with a sudden and pretty general advocacy. 

Q. What took place in 1829 ? 

A. The true position of the Virgin Rochs, on 
the western edge of the Grand Bank, in longitude 
50° 56' 35'' W., and latitude 46° 26' 23" N., 
was determined by Lieut. Bishop, commanding one 
of His Majesty's ships. 

Q. What occurred in 1830 ? 

A. The death of Dr. Scallan, Roman Catholic 
Bishop, who was succeeded in his office by Dr. Flem- 
ing. A stone court-house and prison were erected 
in Harbor Grace ; and Government House, in St. 
John's, was completed at the expense of £60,000. 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 47 



CHAPTER XII. 

(1831 — 1841.) 

Q. Relate the most important events of 1832. 

A. A Representative Assembly, agreeably to 
the prayers of the inhabitants, was granted to the 
colony. A calamitous fire which destroyed ninety- 
seven buildings, including the Episcopal Church, 
broke out on the 8th August, in the town of Harbor 
Grace. An election of members for the General 
Assembly took place in November. 

Q. Into how many electoral districts was the 
Island divided ? 

A. Into nine. 

Q. What number of representatives was ap- 
pointed to each ? 

A. The district of St. John's had three ; that of 
Conception Bay, four ; those of Trinity Bay, Bona- 
vista Bay, Fogo, Fortune Bay, Burin, and Ferry- 
land, one each ; and that of Placentia and St. 
Mary's, two, making in the whole fifteen repre- 
sentatives. 

Q. Who were eligible for election "l 

A. All persons of the full age of twenty-one 
years, being of sound understanding — natural born 



48 CATECHISM OF THE 

subjects, or lawfully naturalized — never having 
been convicted of any infamous crime — and having 
for two years next immediately preceding the day of 
election, occupied as. owner or tenant, a dwelling- 
house within the Island. 

Q. What was the extent of the exports of the 
colony about this period, taking the average of three 
years ? 

A. Six hundred thousand quintals of cod-fish, 
valued at ten shillings per quintal ; three thousand 
tuns train oil, at eighteen pounds per tun ; four hun- 
dred thousand seal skins, at one shilling each ; five 
thousand tuns of seal oil, at twenty pounds per tun ; 
and salmon and furs valued at twenty thousand 
pounds ; — making a total of £494,000. 

Q. What were the imports during the same time ? 

A. Of bread, ninety-four thousand bags ; flour, 
thirty-eight thousand barrels ; pork, twenty-three 
thousand barrels ; and of butter, one million three 
hundred thousand pounds. 

Q. What occurred in 1833 ? 

A. The first session of the General Assembly 
was opened on New Year's Day. Mr. Tucker 
resigned his commission as Chief Justice — an office 
he had filled with distinguished ability; — and a 
Presentation Convent was established in St. John's. 

Q. Who succeeded Mr. Tucker as Chief Justice 
of the Island ? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 49 

A. Henry John Boulton, Esquire, of Upper 
Canada. The Hon. James Simms acted in the 
interval prior to his appointment. 

Q. What took place in 1834 ? 

A. The arrival of Henry Prescott, Esquire, as 
Governor of the Colony. 

Q. "What did the imports and exports amount to 
this year ? 

A. The former to £618,757, and the latter to 
£826,659. 

Q. What number of vessels, from sundry parts, 
arrived in Newfoundland in 1834 ? 

A. Of British there were 888, and of American 
and Spanish 20. 

Q. How many vessels were this year employed 
in the seal fishery on this coast ? 

A. About 400. 

Q. What was the population of the colony at 
this time ? 

A. It was estimated at about eighty thousand. 

Q. When was the first Banking House estab- 
lished in the Island ? 

A. In 1836. 

Q. What improvement marked the year 1837 ? 

A. The erection of a light-house on Harbor 
Grace Island. 

Q. In what year, and by whom, was the first 
geological survey of the country undertaken ? 

E 



50 CATECHISM OP THE 

A. In 1839, by J. B. Jukes, Esquire, F. G. S. 
Q. When was the Roman Catholic Cathedral at 
St. John's commenced ? 
A. In the year 1841. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

(1841 — 1854.) 

Q. What occurred in 1843 ? 

A. A change took place in the constitution of 
the Assembly, which was now incorporated with the 
Council ; it was opened on the 17 th January, by 
Su' John Harvey, the then Governor ; and it was 
termed " The Amalgamated Assembly of Newfound- 
land." The foundation-stone of the Protestant 
Cathedral was laid this year. 

Q. Who was the Chief Justice in 1844 ? 

A. Thomas Norton, Esquire ; he was preceded 
by Chief Justice Bourne. 

Q. When was gas-light first used in the colony ? 

A. In 1845. 

Q. Was it not about this year that the Harbor 
Grace and Carbonear Grammar Schools were insti- 
tuted ? 

A. It was. 

Q. What memorable events happened in 1846 ? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 51 

A. The almost total destruction of St. John's by 
fire, on the 9th day of June. 

Q. Was there nothing else worthy of note 
occurred in this year ? 

A. Yes ; a furious hurricane was experienced on 
the 19th September, which ravaged the whole coast, 
destroying a vast amount of property and very many 
lives, 

Q. Wlien did the Amalgamated Assembly hold 
its last session ? 

A. In 1847. 

Q. Who arrived in the colony as Governor this 
year? 

A. Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant, as the suc- 
cessor of Sir John Harvey who assumed the govern- 
ment of Nova Scotia. 

Q. What improvements were carried forward 
under the administration of Sir Gaspard LeMarchant ? 

A. Numerous works tending to benefit society 
were advanced during the administration of this 
governor ; St. John's was plentifully supplied with 
wholesome water ; agriculture was encouraged ; the 
breed of cattle improved ; Mechanics' Institutes were 
founded ; public edifices erected ; and a better sys- 
tem adopted for relieving the poor. 

Q, Did the amalgamated form of government 
continue, under the administration of Sir Gaspard 
Le Marchant '} 



52 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. No ; it was set aside, and the Legislature 
reverted to its former constitution. 

Q. Wlio succeeded Mr. Norton as Chief Justice 
of the Island ? 

A. Francis Brady, Esquire, in 1847. 

Q. By whom were the reins of government 
assumed after the departure of Sir J. Gaspard Le 
Marchant ? 

A. Upon Sir Gaspard's appointment to the gov- 
ernment of Nova Scotia, his place was supplied by 
His Excellency Ker Baillie Hamilton. 

Q. Name a few of the improvements between 
the years 1847 and 1854, inclusive. 

A. Steam and telegraphic communication be- 
tween Conception Bay and St. John's ; the town of 
Harbor Grace lit with Kerosene Gas ; the Market 
House in the capital opened, and various places of 
worship erected throughout the Island. 

Q. What was the amount of population as shown 
by the census of 1845 ? 

A. About ninety-eight thousand. 

Q. What proportion did the different religious 
bodies bear to each other ? 

A. There were fifty-one thousand Protestants to 
forty-seven thousand Catholics. 

Q. Of what denominations was the Protestant 
church composed ? 

A. Episcopalians, Wesleyans, Congregational- 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 53 

ists, and Presbyterians ; of tbese, thirty-five thousand 
were of the first-named church, and fourteen thou- 
sand of the second. 

Q. How many churches and chapels were then 
existing in the colony ? 

A. One hundred and forty. 

Q. What was the number of schools in opera- 
tion at this period ? 

A. Two hundred and nine ; a fourth of which 
were located in Conception Bay. 

Q. How were these supported ? 

A. Partly by grants from the local legislature, 
and partly from the funds of religious societies. 
This of course refers to the public schools. 

Q. Name a few of the associations which have 
been formed in Newfoundland for philanthropic and 
other purposes. 

A. Benevolent Irish Societies, Dorcas Societies, 
Temperance Societies, Mechanics' Institutes, Agri- 
cultural Societies, Insurance Clubs, Steam, Gas, and 
Water Companies, Life Assurance Associations, and 
many others. 

Q. Do you know the total number of towns and 
settlements in the Island ? 

A. Four hundred and twenty-one; viz: — two 
hundred and eleven on the north side of the capital, 
inclusive, and two hundred and teii on the south. 

Q. Can you further particularize them ? 



54 ' CATECHISM OF THE 

A. In the electoral district of St. John's, 10 
settlements, with a population of 25,000 ; district of 
Conception Bay, 50, population 28,000 ; Trinity- 
Bay, 47, population 8,800 ; Bonavista Bay, 40, 
population 7,200 ; Twillingate and Togo, 64, popu- 
lation, 6,800 ; — these are on the north. 
Q. Furnish those on the south. 
A. District of Ferryland, 16, population 4,400 ; 
Placentia and St. Mary's, 114, population 6,500; 
Burin, 18, population 4,400 ; Fortune Bay, 62, 
population 5,100. 

Q. Do these embrace the whole ? 
A There are twenty-three small settlements 
between Cape Bay and Bonne Bay, with a popula- 
tion of 2,200 souls, not included in the foregoing. 
These were the numbers given by the census of 1845. 
Q. Can you inform me at what rate the popula- 
tion of Newfoundland is supposed to increase ? 

A. It was found that for the ten years prior to 

'45 the population had increased about 30 per cent. 

Q. Are not the present native population of the 

Island the descendants of English, Irish, and Scotch 

settlers ? 

A. Yes ; with the exception of a few who derive 
their origin from Jersey emigrants. 

Q. In what does the military protection of the 
Island consist ? 

A. Chiefly in the fortifications around the cap- 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 55 

ital, and a few companies of soldiers, amounting to 
about 400 men. 

Q. What is tlie amount of Revenue raised in the 
colony ? 

A. About eighty-five thousand pounds sterling 
per annum. 

Q. How is this sura obtained ? 

A. From Colonial or Import duties, £63,000 ; 
Light-Dues, £3,000 ; and from other sources about 
£20,000. 

Q. How much of this is appropriated to Educa- 
tion ? 

A. The sum set apart for educational purposes, 
in 1852, was £9,529 lO*. \M. 

Q. What amount is annually assigned for the 
support of a Police and Magistracy in this Island ? 

A. Six thousand pounds. 

Q. What is given out of the Public Treasury for 
the relief of the poor ? 

A. About nine thousand a-year. 

Q. What amount of salary per annum does the 
Governor receive ? 

A. Three thousand pounds. 

Q. How many vessels and boats are annually 
engaged in prosecuting the fisheries ? 

A. In the Spring, or seal fishery, about 400 
vessels; and in the Summer, or cod fishery, nearly 
15,000 of all sizes. 



56 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. How many acres of land were under cultiva- 
tion at the last census ? 

A. Thirty thousand acres. 

Q. "What number of cattle, say cows and horses, 
were then owned in the colony ? 

A. Of the former, 8,000 ; of the latter, 2,000. 

Q. What was the total amount of Imports in 
1852? 

A. £795,758. 

Q. State the value of Exports for the same 
period ? 

A. £965,772. 

Q, How many Newspapers are published in the 
colony ? 

A. At present, (1854,) seven only. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

OP THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES OP THE 

island; its bays, banks, capes, harbors, ETC.; 

CLIMATE AND SOIL. 

Q. How is Newfoundland situated ? 

A. The Island of Newfoundland is situated at 
the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to which it 
affords a northern and a southern entrance. It lies 
between the latitudes of 46° 40', and 51° 37^ N., 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 57 

and beween the longitudes of 52° 25', and 59° 15', 
W. ; it is of a triangular form, and about a thousand 
miles in circumference. 

Q. How many square miles does the surface of 
the Island contain ? 

A. Nea:fly forty thousand. 

Q. Repeat the names of its principal bays. 

A, On the S. E. side is the Bay of St. John's, 
in which is the capital, bearing the same name. To 
the north of this lies the beautiful Bay of Concep- 
tion, containing on its western shores the ports of 
Harbor Grace, Carbonear, Brigus, Port-de-Grave, 
and Bay Roberts, with others of less note. In this 
bay also are situated the fine islands of Great and 
Little Belle Isle, and Kelly's Island. More north- 
erly, are the Bays of Trinity, Bonavista, Gander, 
Exploits, Notre Dame, White, and Hare ; and on 
the most northern extremity is the small Bay of 
Pistolet. 

Q. What Bays are situate on the south side of 
the Island "? 

A. The principal are. Fortune Bay, Bays of 
Placentia, St. Mary's, and Trepassey. 

Q. Are there not some on the western side ? 

A. Yes ; St. George's Bay, and Bay of Islands. 
Here are also several large rivers and an extensive 
lake. 

Q. Where is Cape Ray ? 



58 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. On the south-western angle of the Island. 

Q. What is the most eastern Cape called ? 

A. Cape Spear. 

Q. Where is Cape Norman ? 

A. On the northern extremity of the Island. 

Q. What separates Newfoundland from Labra- 
dor? 

A. The Straits of Belle Isle. 

Q. Kepeat the names of the principal islands by 
which Newfoundland is surrounded ? 

A. To the south are St. Peter's and Miquelon, 
both of which are in possession of the French. More 
westerly, are the Magdalen Islands, Cape Breton, 
and the large but unpeopled island of Anticosti. On 
the east are New World Island, Togo, Funk, and 
Wadhams. Off the French Shore lie Groais Island 
and Belle Isle. 

Q. How is the Grand Bank situated ? 

A. Its western edge is rather more than a degree 
to the east of this Island. It is five degrees wide 
from east to west, in its broadest part, and about nine 
degrees long, from north to south. It is entirely 
covered with the sea, which varies in depth from ten 
to one hundred fathoms. 

Q. Are there not similar elevations of the bed of 
the ocean in the vicinity of the Grand Bank ? 

A. Yes ; namely, the Outer Bank, which lies 
about 2 J- degrees farther east ; and Green Bank, 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 59 

Mizen Bank, Porpoise Bank, and Banquereau, 
which lie to the west of the Great Bank. 

Q. Is not the Island subject to dense fogs ? 

A. On the southern coast, from May to October, 
the fogs are frequent and exceedingly dense ; but 
from Conception Bay northward the sky is clear 
and the air most salubrious. 

Q. Are the winters here as cold as they are in 
Great Britain ? 

A. They are much more so ; but rarely so cold 
as they are in the Canadas. 

Q. What is the lowest degree of cold experi- 
enced in Newfoundland, as indicated on the scale 
of Fahrenheit's thermometer ? 

A. From 6° to 10° below zero is generally the 
lowest point to which the mercury descends during 
the severest winter. There are, however, a few 
instances on record wherein it indicated as low 
as 20°. 

Q. To what depth does the snow fall in New- 
foundland, taking the average of our winters ? 

A. From four to six feet. 

Q. How long does the winter usually continue ? 

A. Occasionally the weather is very mild ; but 
generally speaking the frost lasts from the beginning 
of December to the last of March, and sometimes for 
a month later. 

Q. Is not the navigation closed during this 
period V 



60 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. It was so formerly, but of late years vessels 
arrive and depart every month in the season. 

Q. Which are the warmest months in the year ? 

A. July and August. 

Q. What is the temperature of these months ? 

A. During the hottest weather in these months, 
the thermometer ranges between 75° and 90° in the 
shade — ■ rarely, however, in the course of the sea- 
son, ascending above 80°. 

Q. Of what description is the soil ? 

A. The soil here as in other countries is of vari- 
ous degrees of fertility, depending upon the nature 
of the underlying rock and a variety of causes ; but 
generally speaking it is loose, shallow, and sterile, 
requiring much labor to render it productive. 

Q. Does not this country yield an abundance of 
grass ? 

A. In certain situations it does, both wild and 
cultivated. 

Q. Have we not also potatoes and oats ? 

A. Yes, of an excellent quality ; but the former 
have degenerated since visited by the rot. Turnips, 
carrots, and other garden vegetables are likewise 
plentiful and of a superior description. 

Q. What is known of the interior of the Island ? 

A. The interior of the country has never been 
explored, and consequently our knowledge of it is 
exceedingly limited ; but from information derived 



HISTORY OP NEWFOUNDLAND. 61 

from persons who have crossed it at one or two 
points, it chiefly consists of ponds and marshes, 
diversified occasionally with rising grounds destitute 
of timber, which are therefore called "barrens." 
This applies to the more central portions of the 
island, for nearer the coast the land is well wooded. 



CHAPTEE XV. 

OF THE ABORIGINES, OR RED INDIAN TRIBE. 

Q. Were there any inhabitants on the island 
when discovered by Cabot in 1497 ? 

A. Yes ; there was a tribe of Red Indians, or 
native savages. 

Q. Do they still exist on the Island ? 

A. It is generally supposed that they are now 
extinct. 

Q. What has befallen this primitive race ? 

A. They have been exterminated by the whites 
and Micmac Indians, with whom they waged per- 
petual warfare. 

Q. In what part of the island did they chiefly 
reside ? 

A. On the eastern coast, in the immediate 
vicinity of the Exploits River. 

F 



62 CATECHISM OF THE 

Q. Were these people acquainted with the use 
of the gun ? 

A. No ; their arms consisted simply of the bow 
and arrow. 

Q. Of what were these implements made V 

A. The bow, which was about five feet in length, 
was made of elastic wood ; the arrow was simply a 
straight piece of pine, armed with bone or iron at 
the point, and having a few goose quills at the other 
extremity to direct its flight. 

Q. Describe their huts. 

A Their huts, or wigwams, were of a conical 
form, ingeniously covered with the skins of deer, or 
with broad pieces of birch rind. The frame consisted 
of poles fastened together at the top, and spreading 
to the required width at the base. 

Q. How were their canoes made V 

A. Their canoes were formed of frail pieces of 
light wood, covered with birch rind sewed together 
with the roots of trees split to a convenient size ; the 
seams were payed over with resin. The usual size 
of these boats was from twelve to fifteen feet in 
length, by three to four feet wide. 

Q. On what did these Indians subsist V 

A. Venison was their favorite food; but they 
also ate birds, fish, and berries, and in seasons of 
scarcity any kind of offal. 

Q. What were their deer-fences ? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 63 

A. A species of quickset hedge, reared along the 
banks of rivers, ponds, or lakes, and which sometimes 
extended over a distance of forty miles. 

Q. Of what use were those fences ? 

A. They interrupted the deer in their migrations 
across the country, and were of great advantage to 
the Indian in his hunting excursions. 
Q. How were they made ? 

A, Large trees growing in a line along the mar- 
gins of lakes were cut somewhat more than half 
through ; they were then made to fall so as to coin- 
cide exactly with each other ; care was taken that 
the distance between each should be rather less than 
their respective heights, in order that the top of one 
might be properly fastened to the butt of another. 
Openings were left at certain intervals, through 
which the deer were obliged to pass after crossing 
the water. At these openings the hunters lay con- 
cealed, and dispatched their victims without toil or 
difficulty. 



64 CATECHISM OF THE 



CHAPTER XYI. 

OF THE NATURAL HISTORY. 

Q. Name tlie wild quadrupeds of Newfoundland . 

A. Of tbese we have but a small variety. Deer 
are met with in the western parts of the island, where 
they herd together in large numbers. They resort 
to the more northern portion of the country dur- 
ing the summer season, but retire south on the 
approach of winter. 

Q. What other animals have we ? 

A. Bears, both white and black, wolves, foxes, 
beavers, otters, martens, hares, and musk rats. 
These are the principal. 

Q. ^Yhat of the seal ? 

A. Seals in immense numbers, and of various 
species, surround the coast from the beginning of 
March to the last of April. About the end of Feb- 
ruary they bring forth their young, which are wafted 
hither on the fields of ice, and are taken by thousands. 

Q. Enumerate the birds. 

A, Hawks, ravens, owls, ptarmigan, curlew, 
plover, shore-larks, migratory thrushes, red spar- 
rows, white-throat sparrows, woodpeckers, kingfishers, 
swallows, snipes, bitterns, sandpipers, snow-buntings, 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 65 

cross-bills, linnets, jays, tomtits, &c. ; and among the 
water fowl, geese, ducks, loos, gulls, puffins, gul- 
limots, and gannets. 

Q. What description of fish abound on the 
coast ? 

A. Codfish, salmon, herring, (mackerel have 
forsaken us for 28 years,) caplin, halibut, sharks, 
dog-fish, lobsters, plaice, a small species of crab (not 
more than four inches in diameter), smelts, squids, 
lance, gurnards, &c. The lakes in the interior con- 
tain myriads of trout. 

Q. Have we no snakes ? 

A. Snakes, toads, and frogs, are entirely 
unknown. 

Q. What insects have we in Newfoundland ? 

A. Butterflies, moths, dragon-flies, cuckoo-flies, 
ants, caddis-flies, bees, wasps, beetles, moschetoes, 
and a variety of others. 

Q Name a few of our indigenous trees. 

Q. Pine, spruce, and fir, compose the four-fifths 
of our groves, but we have also hacmatac, birch, 
willow, asp, mountain-ash, and alder. 

Q. What are our other vegetable products ? 

A. Savine or juniper, sarsaparilla, swamp-laurel, 
maiden-hair, trailing-evergreens,.a variety of mosses, 
dog-roses, and a profusion of sweet-smelling flowers. 

Q. Repeat the names of a few of our wild 
berries. 



66 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. Raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, whor- 
tleberries, choke-cherries, &c. 

Q. What mineral productions have we here ? 

A. Coal in small quantities has been found in 
different parts ; gypsum abounds in one or two local- 
ities ; beds of marble, lime-stone, and roofing-slate, 
are of frequent occurrence, and copper ore has been 
discovered near the town of St. John's. It is asserted 
by some, that the interior of the colony is rich in 
minerals of the most valuable character. 



CHAPTER XYII. 



MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. 

Q. What is meant by the terms spring and sum- 
mer voyages ? 

A. The seal-fishery is termed the spring, and cod- 
fishery the summer voyage. 

Q. How many months are the people engaged in 
these voyages respectively ? 

A. In the former about two months, and in the 
latter about five. The one terminates about the last 
of April, the other extends from June to October. 

Q. How are they occupied during the rest of the 
year? 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 67 

A. Many of them in clearing the land, drawing 
timber from the woods, and building craft for the 
fisheries. 

Q. What are the different denominations of 
trades in the island ? 

A. Such as are generally found in all civilized 
communities, namely, — carpenters, coopers, tailors, 
shoemakers, blacksmiths, sailmakers, and the like. 

Q. How would you characterize the inhabitants 
of the country ? 

A. Among the industrial classes, the men are 
intelligent, athletic, hardy, and enterprising ; the 
women, in the main, thrifty, fond of their homes, and 
remarkably handsome. 

Q. Of what materials are the dwelling-houses 
constructed ? 

A. Chiefly of wood, except at St. John's, where 
the principal streets are of brick and stone ; the 
shops being considered among the finest in the 
world. 

Q. From whence are received the chief importa- 
tions ? 

A. Flour and pork from the United States and 
Canada; biscuit and butter from Copenhagen and 
Hamburg ; salt from England and Spain ; coal from 
Cape Breton ; and dry goods, cutlery, &c., from 
the United Kingdom. 

Q. Are there no native manufactures ? 



68 CATECHISM OF THE 

A. None of importance. 

Q. Would not the establishment of these be of 
service to the Colony ? 

A. Most decidedly it would. 

Q, On what, under Providence, depends the 
future advancement of this country ? 

A. The industry, honesty, and sobriety of the 
working classes ; the mutual forbearance, charity, 
and social concord of its various sects ; the proper 
observance of the Sabbath ; the due support of 
religious and educational institutions ; and the good 
example and patriotic exertions of its leading men. 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 69 



GOVERNORS. 



The following table affords a correct account of the 


number of Governors from 1749 to 1854, with the 


years of their respective administration : — 




1749- 


- Rodney. 


1750 to 


1752- 


- Drake. 


1753 to 


1754- 


- BONFOY. 


1755 to 1756- 


- DORRILL. 


1757 to 


1759- 


- Edwards. 




1760- 


- Webb. 


1761 to 1763- 


- Graves. 


1764 to 


1768- 


- Palliser. 


1769 to 


1771- 


- Byron. 


1772 to 


1774- 


- Shuldham. 




1775- 


- Duff. 


1776 to 


1778- 


— Montagu. 


1779 to 1781 - 


- Edwards. 


1782 to 


1785 - 


- Campbell. 


1786 to 


1788- 


- Elliott. 


1789 to 


1791- 


- Milbank. 


1792 to 


1793- 


- King. 

-6 



70 CATECHISM OP THE 

1794 to 1796 — Wallace. 
1797 to 1799 — Waldegrave. 
1800 to 1801 — Pole. 
1802 to 1803 — Gambier. 
1804 to 1806 — GowER. 
1807 to 1809 — HoLLowAY. 
1810 to 1812 — Duckworth. 
1813 to 1815 — Keats. 

1816 to 1817 — PiCKMORE. 

1818 to 1824 — Hamilton. 
1825 to 1834 — Cochrane. 
1834 to 1841 — Prescott. 
1841 to 1846 — Harvey. 
1847 to 1852 — LeMarchant. 
1853 — Hamilton, 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 71 



ADDENDA. 



NATURAL PHENOMENA. 

Thrush ( Turdus migratorius) arrives April 1 

Shore-lark (Alauda alpestris) first heard " 20 

Grass springs May 1 

Codfish taken " 10 

Potatoes planted " 10 

Alder shooting leaves " 20 

Dandelion flowered June 1 

Willow Catkins out " 15 

Young Thrushes hatched " 20 

Caplin {S, arci. Lin.) arrive and spawn " 23 

Cherry trees in blossom " 30 

Butterflies (white) deposit eggs . , .' " 30 

Green pease July 20 

House-flies numerous " 25 

Caplin depart " 25 

Squids ( Hep. hi. ) appear August 1 

Hay-making commences " 10 

Rove-beetles {Staph, vill.) fly in swarms " 15 

Cherries ripe September 15 

Leaves of the Birch tree fade " 30 

Thmshes migrate southwards " 30 

Potatoes dug up October 5 

Red berries of the mountain ash {Sorbus aucuparia) 

ripe " 20 

First snow showers " 31 



72 



HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 



Snow-buntings appear October 31 

Indian summer , November 15 

Frost and snow permanent for the season December 10 



Mean Temperature of -the months, in latitude 47° 33' 
2211, N. ; longitude 52° 45/ 29/', W. : — 



January . . 


.22.7 


deg. 


May ... 


..37.5 


deg. 


September 


53.5 deg. 


February. 


.19.5 


(( 


June . . . 


..49.8 


u 


October. . 


44.2 » 


March . . . 


.24.0 


u 


Julv ... 


..57.4 


u 


November. 33.9 " 


April . . . . 


.33.8 


u 


August . 


..54.0 


u 


December 


28.5 " 



Times of High Water at sundry places on the coast, 
at the Full and Change of the ]\Ioon — together with the verti- 
cal rise of the tide, at Spring Tides : — 

Croque Harbor, 6h. 30m. 6^ feet. 

Ferrolle, 11 45 

Fort St. John, 9 00 

St. John's, (capital), 7 50 5 

St. Peter's, 9 00 7 

Placentia Harbor, 9 15 8 

Harbor Grace, (determined by the 

author, in 1849,) 8 35 8 

Pistolet, 6 45 5 



It is remarkable that the principal shipwrecks which have 
occurred at St. Shotts, on the southern coast of the Island, 
have happened on or about the time of the Sitring tides. Hence 
it has been inferred that the cun*ent runs faster thei*e at those 
epochs than it does during the intervening times ; a circum- 
stance that ought to be made the subject of direct observation. 



ifM^'i^'SU, 



CATECHISM 

OF THE 

pst0r2 0f |(M0ttnWanir, 

WITH AN INTRODUCTOEY CHAPTER 

ON THE 

DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

BT THE 

ANCIENT SCANDINAVIANS. 
INTENDED CHIEFLY FOR THE U5E OF SCHOOLS. 

BY WM. CHAS/ST. JOHN. 

(LATE U. 8. VICE-CONSUL FOR THE BAY OP CONCEPTION.) 

REVISED EDITION. 



B O STON: 

I PRESS OF GEORGE C. RAND, CORNHILL. 

1855. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




017 519 842 8 



mmm: 



1 

ii 





